


The Climb

by lastweekon



Category: Ghost Adventures (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-11 17:57:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7064041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lastweekon/pseuds/lastweekon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a beautiful day and Nick wants to spend it hiking with Zak. Zak is less than excited about that plan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Zak shifted in his sleep as Nick’s hand ran up the length of his arm, coaxing him awake.  
“Zak.” He whispered softly.   
The older man cuddled in closer, nestling his head in the crook of Nick’s neck as he settled. Nick felt bad waking him, but he also knew that Zak could sleep all day like this if he let him.   
“Zak.” He said again, lightly kissing the bridge of his nose.   
Zak smiled softly in his sleep, exhaling contentedly.   
“Baaaabe.” Nick singsonged. “It’s time to get up.”   
Zak groaned quietly as Nick ran his fingers through the back of his dark hair, pulling him gently from sleep.   
“Nick, it’s _Sunday_.” Zak whined sleepily, keeping his eyes pinched shut .   
“I know. And you’re wasting it.” Nick said, running his hand along Zak’s spine. “Come on, it’s already 11.”   
“Just a few more minutes” Zak whispered, throwing an arm across Nick’s middle.   
“Come on, babe. It’s a beautiful day. Let’s get up and enjoy it.” Nick beckoned.   
“I _am_ enjoying it.” Zak mumbled. This was his favorite part of the week. He loved sleeping next to Nick and not having to worry about setting an alarm clock. Waking up naturally with Nick’s warm body next to his was his happy place.   
“How about enjoying it together? Nick asked, kissing the older man’s cheeks one at a time.   
Zak couldn’t help smiling at the gentle touch of Nick’s lips pressing against his. Nick was persistent, and it was working. Zak kissed back lightly. Apparently he was waking up now. Begrudgingly, he opened his eyes to find Nick smiling back at him. His chocolate brown eyes gazing lovingly into Zak’s.   
“Good morning.” Nick said with a smirk, happy to see that his plan had worked.   
“Well, it _was_ …” Zak teased. “So where’s the fire?”  
“What do you mean?”   
“Well, there must be some reason you woke me from one of the best sleeps of my life.” Zak snarked.   
Nick smiled. Every sleep was the best sleep of Zak’s life. He’d never known someone that could fall asleep so deeply for so long.   
“Well...you’d sleep forever if I let you.” Nick said with a quick kiss to Zak’s forehead. “And we spent all day in bed yesterday.”   
“I don’t remember you complaining…” Zak said with a grin.   
“That’s because I didn’t.” Nick agreed, returning Zak’s smile. “But it’s perfect outside and I thought maybe we could do something different today.”   
“What did you have in mind?” Zak asked curiously.   
“Well, I thought with the weather being so nice...it would be a really great day for a hike.” He braced himself for the groan he knew was coming. Zak wasn’t crazy about nature. He was more interested in enjoying it from a distance.   
“A hike?” Zak said, face twisting in disapproval.   
“Yeah. I thought it would be nice to get out and get some fresh air...a little exercise.” Nick said, hoping to persuade the older man. “We could pack a lunch and drive to the state park. They have a bunch of trails that are really beautiful.”   
“How long of a hike are we talking here?” Zak asked. He wanted to nix the idea, but he could see how excited Nick was about it. And they _had_ stayed in bed all day the day before. They’d gotten some exercise, but not the kind Nick was proposing.   
“It doesn’t have to be intense. Maybe a couple hours? We can take the easy trails. I just wanna spend the day with you and be outside.” He said hopefully.   
Zak exhaled, resigning himself to the plan. He would have been happier to spend the day laying out by the pool, but he couldn’t say no when Nick had his heart set on a hike.   
“Okay. Let’s hike.” Zak conceded.   
Nick smiled gratefully. He was so sure Zak was going to fight him on this. It was a pleasant surprise to have the older man agree so quickly.   
“But you better go easy on me, Groff. I mean it.” Zak said sternly. “I’m not climbing up anything.”   
“We’ll take it easy.” Nick said with a chuckle. “Flat trails only.”   
“And I swear, if I see a snake...” Zak said seriously.  
“I won’t let snakes anywhere near you. I promise.” Nick said, holding his hand over his heart in a silent pledge.   
“Good.” Zak said succinctly.   
“Now go get ready.” Nick said, moving to get up from the bed. “I’ll go pack us up some lunch.”  
He was excited which was pretty much the only reason Zak had agreed to spend his Sunday dodging wild animals. He lay in bed, watching as Nick slipped into a pair of black mesh shorts and his favorite muscle tee. He admired the way the shirt hugged the younger man’s body, showing off the definition in his shoulders and arms.   
Feeling Zak’s eyes on him, Nick turned to face him expectantly. Zak stared longingly sending a wave of heat over Nick’s body. He knew what Zak was trying to do and it wasn’t gonna work.   
“See, to get ready you actually have to get _out_ of the bed.” Nick said with a smirk.   
“I know, I know...I’m just enjoying the view.” Zak said, resting his hands behind his head and dragging his eyes over Nick’s body. “That shirt is the only reason I go to the gym with you some days.”   
Nick smiled, blushing a little at the compliment.   
“Oh yeah?” He asked, making his way toward the bed. He climbed up, straddling the older man and bringing his lips to hover over his mouth. “Good to know.” He said, before pressing their lips together.   
Zak ran his hands up Nick’s arms, feeling them flex as the younger man dominated the kiss. Zak smiled happily as goosebumps sprouted on Nick’s skin. And he pouted when the younger man broke the kiss a moment later.   
“That’s not gonna work, Zak.” He said with a knowing smirk.  
“What’s not gonna work?” Zak asked, playing coy.   
“Go get ready.” Nick said with a quick peck to Zak’s lips before climbing off the bed. Zak groaned, letting his head fall back against the pillows in defeat. 

An hour later they were on the road. Zak reached into the back seat, grabbing for the cooler which he found packed to the brim with food and bottles of water. He grabbed for a water, cracking the bottle open and taking a long drink.   
“What all do we have here?” He asked, rifling through the cooler. It looked like Nick had packed all the contents of the fridge and pantry.   
“I wasn’t sure what you’d be hungry for, so I packed a little of everything.” Nick said.   
“Nick, if there’s a tent in the trunk…” Zak joked.   
“I know better than that.” Nick said with a chuckle. “Getting you to camp would be a small miracle.”   
Zak grabbed a handful of trail mix, shoving it into his mouth as he continued looking through the cooler.   
“You want anything?” He asked, mouth full.   
“Just a water for now, I think.” Nick said.   
Zak grabbed a bottle of water, placing it in Nick’s cupholder. When he glanced back at the cooler, he noticed his inhaler tucked into the bottom, half-hidden under a bag of pretzels. Nick had reminded him to grab an inhaler no less than five times before they left the house. And still he’d packed an extra just in case. Zak smiled, closing the lid and grabbing for Nick’s hand. He laced their fingers together and Nick shot him a happy smile, bringing Zak’s hand up to his mouth and kissing his knuckles.   
“So when we get there, there’s this really nice clearing that would be the perfect spot for lunch. I figured we eat and then head out?” Nick suggested.   
“Sounds good.” Zak agreed. “You know the place better than I do.”   
“Thanks for doing this, babe.” Nick said, squeezing Zak’s hand lightly. “I promise it’s gonna be fun.”   
“I’m sure it will be.” Zak said with a smile. 

Zak lay sprawled on his back, taking in the views. It really was a beautiful spot. Nick had set up a blanket under a shady tree for lunch. They were up high enough to look out over the bright blue water of the marsh below. The sun cast shadows over the rock formations that lined the horizon. Zak wanted to stay right here all day.   
“Did you get enough to eat?” Nick asked, aimlessly running a hand through Zak’s hair as the older man’s head lay propped up on his lap.   
“Yeah, I’m stuffed.” Zak said, rubbing his stomach. “I ate too much.”  
“That’s okay. We’ll walk it off.” Nick said.   
“Yeah…’” Zak said lazily. Part of him had hoped that Nick would reconsider and they could stay and enjoy this view all day.   
“We better get going.” Nick said encouragingly when Zak didn’t make a move to get up. “We don’t want to waste the daylight.”   
“Yeah. Okay.” Zak said, begrudgingly sitting up. “I like this spot.”   
“I thought you would.” Nick said with a smile.  
He gathered up the various bags and containers, packing them back up into the cooler while Zak collected the garbage. They folded up the blanket and headed back to drop everything off at the car.   
“I’m gonna bring the trail mix with in case we need a snack.” Nick said. And what he meant was that he was going to bring it for when Zak inevitably needed a snack. Which he would in about an hour. A hungry Zak was a grumpy Zak. Nick had learned that a long time ago.   
“I couldn’t eat another bite!” Zak said, grabbing for a fresh bottle of water and stuffing it into the pocket of his shorts.   
“Well, just in case.” Nick said trying not to roll his eyes. “Okay, you got everything?”   
“Yeah, I think so.” Zak said, patting his shorts pockets to feel for his phone.   
“Inhaler?” Nick asked.   
“Yes, Nick.” Zak said with a smile. He didn’t know why Nick bothered asking when Zak had seen him sneak the extra one he’d brought into his pocket before lunch. But still, he couldn’t help but smile at how the younger man worried about him.   
“You good on sunscreen?” Nick asked.   
“Yeah, I think I’ll be okay.” Zak said.   
“Alright, let’s go!” Nick said excitedly. He led the way to the beginning of the trail. Zak followed closely, arm occasionally brushing against Nick’s as they walked quietly into the brush.   
“So how long is this trail?” Zak asked after a few moments.   
“I’m not sure, I think ten miles?” Nick said. “But we don’t have to do the whole thing. We can circle back whenever we want.” He added quickly, feeling Zak tense up at his side.   
“Oh, okay.” Zak said, trying his best to sound nonchalant. _Ten miles?_ That seemed a bit excessive for a casual Sunday stroll. They’d definitely be circling back at some point.  
“Hey Nick?” Zak asked a few moments later.  
“Yeah?”  
“What kind of trail would you be hiking if I wasn’t here?” He was curious. Nick loved the outdoors. He always had and Zak couldn’t help but wonder if he wished it was something they had in common.   
“Um...I don’t know. There’s this one the cuts up through the rocks. It’s a hell of a climb, but when you get to the top it’s an amazing view. You can see for miles.” Nick said.   
“That sounds nice.” Zak said pensively.  
“It is.” Nick agreed.   
“Sorry I’m lame.” Zak said, feeling guilty.   
“What do you mean?” Nick asked, giving the older man a curious look.  
“I’m sure you’d rather be scaling some rock formation right now.”   
“Nah.” Nick said, lacing his fingers with Zak’s as they walked. “I’m good.”   
“I wish I liked all that stuff...climbing and camping and being adventurous.” Zak said, leaning into Nick as he walked. “I just don’t.”   
Nick smiled appreciatively. Just the fact that Zak _wanted_ to like those things was enough for him.  
“That’s okay. There’s stuff you like that I don’t.” Nick said. “Boxing for example.”   
Zak chuckled. Nick had always been bored by boxing matches. And Zak had dragged him out to watch plenty of them since they’d known each other.   
“True. But you’re always willing to watch matches with me. Well, most of the time…” Zak was feeling guilty again. He always found reasons _not_ to hike or bike or camp. But Nick rarely ever said no to things.  
“I just like to spend time with you. I’ll take it any way I can get it.” Nick said honestly. He bumped shoulders with Zak playfully.   
The older man’s brow furrowed as he walked quietly next to Nick.   
“What's up?” Nick asked, curious about the sudden change in Zak’s mood.  
“Nothing. I just kinda feel like an ass now.” Zak said.   
“Shit. I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I was just messing around.” Nick said, wrapping an arm around Zak’s shoulders.  
“I know you were. But you aren't wrong. You go out of your way to spend time with me. I’m pretty sure I could ask you to do just about anything with me and you’d say yes.”   
“Yeah, I probably would. But that's just my personality.” Nick said. “I'm willing to try anything once. And if it means I get to hang out with you than that's a bonus. But I don't expect you to like everything that I like. That's not who you are.”   
“Yeah, I guess…” Zak said. “But I could be better about trying new stuff with you. I want to be more adventurous. It's one of my favorite things about you.”   
Nick hugged Zak in a little tighter, smiling at the compliment.   
“Okay. We’ll work on being adventurous together.” Nick agreed. 

They had been walking for a little over an hour and Zak could feel a blister forming on his little toe. It rubbed painfully against the side of his shoe with each step. He was acutely aware that every step forward was another step they’d have to take when they finally decided to loop back around. He wanted to turn around now. But he couldn't. He didn't want to be the one to suggest they head back. Not after he promised he’d try to be more adventurous. Zak’s breathing was labored as they made their way up a slight but steady incline. And beads of sweat had begun to form along his hairline. He glanced over at Nick. The younger man walked effortlessly, looking completely unaffected by the climb. Zak sighed quietly to himself knowing that it was going to be a while before Nick suggested they turn around.   
“How ya doing?” Nick asked, feeling Zak’s eyes on him.  
“Just wondering when I got so out of shape.” Zak said with a chuckle. He could hear how his breath wheezed slightly when he spoke and he cleared his throat to try and hide it.   
“Let’s take a break.” Nick said. He hadn’t noticed how winded Zak had gotten. “You need to sit down.” he said, leading Zak to a large rock.   
“I’m okay.” Zak said dismissively. “Just need a second to catch my breath.”   
“Okay. Well, sit down. Do you have water?” Nick asked, happy that he brought along one of Zak’s inhalers.   
“Yep.” Zak said, pulling out the bottle to take a sip. “Calm down, babe. I’m alright.” he said with a smile, reaching up to pat Nick’s chest.   
“I know. Sorry. I just get worried.” Nick admitted. His heart was pounding in his chest. If Zak had an attack now, he didn’t know how quickly they’d be able to get help. “We should turn around. After you get your sea legs back.”   
“We don’t have to.” Zak protested. “I promise I’m fine.”   
“No, that’s okay. We’ve already hiked farther in than we planned to.” Nick said. “Besides I thought it would be nice to go out for dinner when we get back. We could try that new seafood place.”   
“Oh, that sounds good.” Zak said. His stomach rumbled at the thought of dinner even as the sun still hung high in the sky. If Nick wanted to turn back, Zak wasn’t gonna argue. “Man, I’m hungry. Did you bring that trail mix?”  
“Yes.” Nick smiled, pulling the bag from his pocket and handing it to Zak.   
Zak stuffed a handful into his mouth, offering the bag to Nick.   
“I think I wore the wrong shoes.” Zak said, mouth full. “I’ve got a massive blister on my toe. Hurts like hell.”   
“Why didn’t you say something?” Nick asked. “I’ve got bandaids in my pocket.”  
“You do?” Zak said excitedly. “Gimmie one.”   
Nick rifled through his pocket, pulling out a bandaid and handing it over to the older man.   
“You might want to take a step back.” Zak said seriously. “My feet are really sweaty.”   
“I think I’ll survive. I share a bed with you, you know.” Nick joked.   
Zak rolled his eyes dramatically. Removing his shoe and sock to reveal an angry red blister covering the majority of his smallest toe. He winced as he poked at it a bit.   
“Zak, that looks terrible.” Nick said, face scrunched up in pain. “Quit poking it.”  
“It’ll be fine.” Zak said, wrapping the bandage around the inflamed skin. “Thanks to my own personal Bear Grylls.” he added with a grin.  
“Yes, only _true_ survivalists travel with bandaids.” Nick joked sarcastically.   
Zak smiled, stuffing his foot back into his shoe and lacing it up.   
“Okay, I think I’m ready now.” He said, standing from the rock triumphantly. He was feeling significantly less winded and the bandage was forming a nice barrier between his foot and his shoe.  
“Okay, let’s do it.” Nick said as they turned back the way they came. 

Zak was lagging as they made their way back. His pace had slowed a half mile back and Nick could tell he was running on fumes. He tried his best to keep the conversation going, knowing that talking would be a good distraction, but the more tired Zak got, the shorter his responses were.  
“You doing okay? Wanna take a break ?” Nick asked.  
“I’m okay.” Zak said as brightly as he could manage. Truthfully, he was beat. His bandage had come loose a ways back and now his blister was rubbing painfully against his shoe once more. He honestly worried that if he sat down, he wouldn’t be able to get back up. More than anything he just wanted to get back to the car.   
“Okay, just let me know if you change your mind.” Nick said. “It’s not too much farther now.” he added, trying his best to be encouraging.  
They came to a clearing that overlooked a beautiful rock formation. The stones stood orange against the bright blue sky. A small stream bubbled away as birds chirped happily overhead.   
“It really is beautiful here.” Zak said, appreciating the view. As tired as he was, he couldn’t deny the beauty of the place.   
“It really is.” Nick said, sighing happily. “You see that rock that looks kind of like a head?”   
“Yeah.” Zak said, noticing it immediately.   
“I’ve actually climbed it as a shortcut before. It cuts like 2 miles off the trail.” Nick said with a laugh.   
“Really?” Zak asked, surveying the rock. It didn’t look that bad. Not too tall, plenty of places to walk comfortably. “Let’s do it!”   
“What? No, you hate climbing.” Nick protested. “Besides, it’s kinda steep in some spots.” He realized immediately that he should not have mentioned this. Zak was already tired and it wasn’t an easy climb.   
“What happened to being adventurous together?” Zak asked, raising an eyebrow. “I can handle it.”   
“I don’t know Zak…”   
“Come on! It’ll be fun.” Zak said. “I wanna do stuff that you like.”   
Nick exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck as he debated.  
“Well...okay. If you really want to. But it’s not gonna be easy.” Nick said seriously. “And if you need a break you gotta tell me, okay? You can’t have an asthma attack on me.”   
“I’ll take it easy. I promise.” Zak reassured him.   
“Okay....let’s go.” Nick said with a smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In an attempt to be more adventurous, Zak convinces Nick to take a shortcut on their hike. As they head toward the rock formation, Zak's not sure whether he's going to be able to do it. But he's committed and he's Zak, so he's gonna try.

They walked off the trail and headed straight toward the rocks. Zak let Nick lead the way to keep a barrier between him and any snakes they might encounter. He followed close behind, keeping pace with Nick as the ground began to steadily incline. Up close the rock looked a lot bigger than it had back on the trail. The ledges that had looked like a natural staircase were much more steep than Zak had anticipated. Nick turned as they reached the bottom of the rock wanting to check in one more time before he started climbing.  
“You sure about this? It’s only a couple more miles down the trail.”  
“I’m sure.” Zak said, sounding less than convinced. “It’s safe right? I’m not gonna fall off?”   
“No way.” Nick promised. “I’m gonna go first and you follow my same path. I’ll talk you through it.”   
“Okay.” Zak nodded. “I’m nervous, but I wanna do it.”   
“Well, alright then. Let’s climb.” Nick said. Zak saw the way his eyes lit up at just the mention of climbing and he knew that no matter how scared he was, he had to try. Anything that made Nick this happy was worth doing.   
Nick led the way, easily identifying sturdy dips in the rock wall. In just a few quick steps he was already up on the first ledge a few feet off the ground. He turned, squatting down to watch as Zak followed his lead. He pulled himself up easily enough and Nick reached out to grab for his hand, helping him up onto the ledge.   
“That wasn’t so bad.” Zak said with a proud smile.   
“We’ll just take the whole thing in sections.” Nick said. “Just let me know when you need to rest.”   
“I will.” Zak agreed.   
Nick started climbing again, mapping out a path along the rocks as he went. Zak was enamored with the way he moved expertly across them. It was as if the rocks were simply an extension of his own body. The late afternoon sun illuminated his form as he climbed. Light blonde hairs glistened on his bronzed arms as his muscles flexed with effort. Zak swallowed hard, deciding right then and there that he’d be joining Nick on his climbs more often.   
“Babe?” Nick said, snapping Zak from his thoughts. “Your turn.”   
“Right.” Zak said, clearing his mind and trying to remember the path Nick had taken. He stepped up into the first groove, hands finding a solid ledge easily. He pulled himself up as he searched for his next foothold. His arms shook lightly from supporting the extra weight as his free foot searched the wall.  
“Nick, I can’t find it.” Zak grunted. He tried not to look down as his foot scraped along the wall. They were only up 15 feet or so, but it was enough to make him feel dizzy.   
“It’s okay, you got it. It’s just a little bit more to the right and up a few inches.” Nick said calmly.   
Zak found the dip quickly with Nick’s direction. He stepped up and soon Nick was grabbing for his arm and pulling him up onto the next ledge. He let out a sigh of relief, letting himself press into Nick as his arms and legs shook from some mixture of strain and fear.   
“I forgot how much I hate heights.” Zak said with a nervous chuckle.   
“You’re doing great.” Nick said, wrapping an arm protectively around the older man’s back.   
Zak couldn’t help but look up at how much farther they had to go. The whole thing seemed daunting, but he was committed now.   
“It looks worse than it is.” Nick said, feeling Zak’s nerves building. “When we get up a little higher, it’s a lot more walking and a lot less climbing. And coming down won’t be bad at all.”  
“Oh, okay. Good.” Zak said feeling a little relieved. “Let’s keep going.”   
“Okay.” Nick said, dropping his arm from around the older man. He carefully assessed the next section looking for the easiest possible path. He didn’t want Zak getting hurt or losing confidence. He stepped up, finding a sturdy piece to grab onto and quickly scaled the rock sideways finding his way to a nice large ledge where the rock evened out a bit. He pulled himself up, turning back to face Zak who had already started climbing.   
“You’re doing great, Zak.” he said, smiling at the look of concentration on the older man’s face.   
Zak made his way up and over the ledge where he sprawled out on his back to catch his breath. His chest heaved as his heart rate slowed. His legs shook, but it was fear more than anything.   
“Zak, that was awesome!” Nick said with a wide grin. “That was a tough section and you dominated it. I’m so proud of you, babe.”   
“Thanks.” Zak said between deep breaths. “That was so scary, Nick.” he laughed. He felt proud of himself too. But he was also ready to be finished.   
“Well, it looks like we get to walk for a bit now.” Nick said, surveying the stretch of rock ahead of them. There was a natural path that looked like an easy enough walk. “But catch your breath first.”   
“I’m good.” Zak said, slowly making his way to his feet.   
“You’re a rockstar.” Nick said, pulling the older man in and pressing their lips together. Zak’s body was warm against him and his sweat slick skin moved easily over Nick’s. “You’re so hot.” Nick mumbled against his lips.   
“I know, sorry. I’m so sweaty.” Zak said, moving to pull away. But Nick pulled him back in tight.  
“No, it’s sexy.” Nick clarified. “You know I love to watch you sweat.” He kissed Zak again, moving his hands down the older man’s strong back as their lips moved together.   
Zak’s breathing picked up as his heart began to thump in his chest. Nick dragged his lips down Zak’s neck tasting the salty sweat that coated his skin.  
“I'm supposed to be bringing my heart rate _down_.” Zak joked. But honestly, he could do this all day.   
“You’re right.” Nick chuckled in agreement. “We should keep moving.” He added with a final peck to Zak’s lips.   
He lead the way up the path. It was too narrow to walk side-by-side so Zak stuck close, watching his step carefully. The path was easy to navigate for the most part. Some sections required a bit of climbing, but they pushed and pulled each other up as they made their way over the rock. And before Zak realized it, they were at the top. He took in the view as he caught his breath. It was no mountain, but from this height he could see a good distance. The landscape was breathtaking. The sun was dipping a bit lower in the sky and casting beautiful purple shadows as the light played across the rocks.   
“Wow.” He breathed.   
“I know, right? It makes the whole climb worth it.” Nick agreed, smiling happily as the orange glow of the sun illuminated his face.   
“I'm so glad we did this.” Zak said truthfully.   
“Me too.” Nick agreed, snaking an arm around Zak's waist and giving him a light squeeze.   
They stood quietly, taking in the view a bit longer. The sun was starting to move lower in the sky and Nick knew they needed to get moving. He didn’t want to be climbing down this rock in the dark. But he also didn’t want to move from this spot. This day was perfect. Zak was perfect. And he didn’t want it to end.   
“That sun is setting quick.” Nick said after a couple more minutes. He figured they had another hour until it was dark. It wouldn’t take them that long to climb down, but he didn’t want to risk it either.   
“Yeah…” Zak said quietly. “I guess we should get going.”  
“Wouldn’t it be great to pitch a tent up here?” Nick asked dreamily. “Sleep under the stars. Just you and me.”   
“Well...I like the you and me part.” Zak said with a grin. “The camping, not so much.”  
Nick laughed. So he hadn’t made an outdoorsman out of Zak. But it was a step in the right direction.   
“Alright” Nick said, “Let’s get you that dinner.”   
“Oh man. I’m starving.” Zak said, feeling his stomach rumble at the mention of food. “Nick, get me off this rock!”   
“Okay, okay!” Nick laughed. “Follow me.” he said, making his way toward the slope of the natural path. He surveyed the area as he walked. It looked like they’d have to jump down in at least one spot. A fact he had completely forgotten. The drop wasn’t far, but he knew Zak wasn’t going to like it. When they got to the edge of the first ledge, Nick double checked that there wasn’t another way down. Not seeing anything, he turned to face Zak.   
“Okay, the bad news is that we’re gonna have to jump.” he said cautiously.  
“What?” Zak asked nervously. “Are you crazy? I can’t jump.”   
“The good news”, Nick continued before Zak spiraled out, “is that it’s not that far down. And I’m gonna go first.”   
Zak inched forward to peek over the edge. The next ledge was only about six or seven feet down, but it looked narrow and Zak couldn’t tell what came after it.   
“Oh my God, Nick. I can’t.” Zak whined, feeling his heart rate rise.   
“ _Yes_ you can.” Nick said, grabbing onto Zak’s shoulders to look him in the eye.   
“But it’s so narrow.” He protested.  
“I’m gonna be down there waiting for you.” Nick reassured him. “I’m not gonna let you fall, I promise.”  
“But who’s gonna catch _you_?” Zak asked, eyes wide.   
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” Nick said, rubbing his hands up and down Zak’s arms. “Now if I jump, am I gonna have to climb back up here and get you?”   
“ _Maybe_.” Zak said, half-kidding. “No… You jump, I jump.” he said, taking a deep breath.  
“Okay. Everything is gonna be fine.” Nick said with a quick kiss to Zak’s forehead. He walked to the edge of the ledge, taking a moment to try and figure out the best place to land.   
“Be careful, Nick.” Zak called once more. He wasn’t worried about the jump itself, he was worried about Nick landing on such a narrow piece of rock. He wanted to close his eyes as the younger man jumped, but he couldn’t look away. His heart caught in his throat as he watched Nick fall in slow motion. He landed hard, his body crouching as his hands stabilized him on the rock. He popped up, satisfied smile on his face.   
“See, it was nothing!” He called up cheerfully.   
“Yeah...nothing.” Zak said with a dramatic eye roll. It was his turn. He didn’t want to do it. But it kinda seemed like the only option at this point. “What if I lower myself over the wall and just drop?” Zak asked, knowing that he’d only have to drop a couple feet that way.   
“The rocks are kind of jagged in some spots. I don’t want you scraping your legs to hell.” Nick said. “I think it would be better to jump.”  
“I am getting the surf and turf after this!” Zak said, inching closer to the edge.   
Nick laughed.   
“I’ll get you one of everything on the menu if you want. But you gotta jump, babe. It’s starting to get dark.”  
“Yeah...okay.” Zak said, taking a deep breath. He counted backward from three, preparing himself.   
“I got you, Zak. Don’t worry.” Nick called up, arms open and ready.   
Zak jumped, his heart flying into his throat once more as he fell. His landing was far less graceful than Nick’s and he stumbled forward, slamming into the younger man who steadied him immediately.   
“You did it!” Nick said happily as Zak clung to him.   
“Please tell me we don’t have to jump again.” Zak begged. He shook slightly as he held on to Nick.   
“I think it’s walking the rest of the way down.” Nick said with a smile.   
“Oh, thank God.” Zak said relieved. He pressed his forehead to Nick’s, calming his racing heart. “Let’s just get down to flat ground again.”   
“You got it.” Nick agreed.   
They made their way down with only a couple small drops here and there. Nothing Zak couldn’t handle. Especially when Nick reached up to grab his hand and guide him down each time. Finally, they made it to the bottom of the rock and back on flat land.   
“I want to kiss the ground, but I’m too tired.” Zak joked. “Maybe I’ll kiss you instead.” he said, waggling his eyebrows.   
“You dork.” Nick said, closing the gap between them for a quick kiss. “You did a great job today. Thanks for being adventurous with me.” He said, holding the older man close.   
“No problem. Thanks for keeping me alive.” Zak chuckled.   
“My pleasure.” Nick said closing the gap between their mouths once more. He broke the kiss, hearing a familiar sound in the dry grass. He spotted it immediately, a few feet away. “Zak, don’t freak out, but there’s a snake.”   
“What?! Where?” Zak asked, using Nick as a human shield. He stumbled backward, tripping over a large rock. “Ow! Fuck.” he said, as he fell to the ground.   
“Shit. Babe, are you okay?” Nick asked, crouching next to him to assess the damage.   
“Nick, the snake!” Zak yelled, trying to lift himself off the ground. He winced in pain as his foot buckled under him.  
“It went the other way. Take it easy...” Nick said, pushing Zak to sit back down. “Your ankle is swelling up like crazy.”   
“It got caught when I tripped and I twisted it on the way down.” Zak said pathetically.   
“Shit.” Nick said, fingers ghosting over the ankle. “Did you feel anything crack or pop?”   
“No, I don’t think so. I think it’s just twisted.” Zak said. “I can’t believe I scaled that huge rock and _then_ twisted my ankle. Fucking snakes!”   
“Thank God you didn’t hurt yourself while we were climbing. I couldn’t have done much for you up there.” Nick said seriously. “At least down here I can do something about it.”   
He looked into the distance. They weren’t far from the beginning of the trail.   
“You stay still. I’m gonna run back to the parking lot and see if I can get some help.” Nick said.   
“What? No!” Zak said, grabbing onto Nick before he could go. “It’s gonna be dark soon. The snakes.” He said, breath quickening.   
“Babe, it’s less than a mile. I’ll run and be back in no time.” Nick tried to reason.   
“No. Please don’t leave me alone. I can walk it, just help me up.” Zak begged. The thought of being alone out here in the dark was too much for Zak. He’d crawl back if he had to.   
“Zak…” Nick protested.   
“I _can_.” Zak insisted, holding his hands out for Nick to grab hold.   
Nick relented, pulling Zak up off the ground. He quickly wrapped his arm around the older man’s middle and Zak leaned his weight into Nick. He took a cautious step forward sending pain shooting up his left foot.   
“Ah! Shit. Fuck! That hurts.” Zak said, leaning his weight against Nick as he hopped on one foot.   
“Zak, you can’t walk.” Nick reasoned.   
“Nick, you cannot leave me alone out here. You _promised_.” Zak begged.   
Nick could see real fear in his eyes and he knew he couldn’t leave the man for even a second.   
“Okay.” Nick agreed. He crouched down low. “Hop on.”   
“What?” Zak asked, confused.   
“You can’t walk and I can’t leave you, so….hop on.” Nick reiterated.   
“You’re gonna carry me? For a _mile_?” Zak said in disbelief. “You can’t do that, I’m too heavy.”  
“You’d be surprised what I can do.” Nick said with a smirk. “Come on, we gotta get ice on that ankle.”   
“Okay” Zak relented. “But no snarky comments. I’m still holding on to a few extra pounds.”   
“Just climb on.” Nick said with a laugh.   
Zak hopped to Nick, wrapping his arms around the younger man’s neck as his legs fell to either side of his hips. Much to his surprise, Nick rose from the ground fairly easily.   
“Oh my God, Zak!” He joked faking a pained grunt, which earned him a hard slap to the chest.   
“Am I too heavy?” Zak asked cautiously. “I don’t want you to pull something.”   
“Nah. You’re not that heavy.” Nick replied. “Just wrap your legs around me a little more.”   
Zak responded quickly, tightening his grip around Nick’s middle.   
“Thanks for saving me.” Zak said quietly, kissing the side of Nick’s head as he walked.   
“Any time, babe.” Nick said with a smile.   
“So...we can still get dinner, right?” Zak asked seriously.   
Nick chuckled, shaking both their bodies in the process.  
“Yeah, we can still get dinner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear what you all thought! I might have gotten a bit carried away with the length, but I just can't get enough of these two. Hopefully it was an enjoyable read!
> 
> Thanks, as always, for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> That's the end of chapter one. Let me know what you think! I've gotten some feedback about writing longer stories, so I'm working on that! Hopefully longer doesn't equal boring. :)
> 
> I'll be posting the second chapter soon! It just needs a bit of editing.


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